Defence Online

Defence Secretary signs multi-billion pound jet contract with Qatar

Air December 12, 2017

The Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson and his Qatari counterpart, Khalid bin Mohammed al Attiyah, oversaw the signing of the deal for 24 Typhoons, building on the Statement of Intent signed in September.

In addition, the agreement signed today by the Qatar and British Governments also includes a clear intention to proceed with the purchase of Hawk aircraft.

The aircraft will be assembled in the UK by BAE Systems, supporting thousands of jobs, especially at the company’s Warton site in Lancashire where it will safeguard work on the production line into the next decade. The deal is worth around £6 billion and represents the biggest export deal for the Typhoon project in a decade.

The deal also includes an agreement with MBDA for Brimstone and Meteor missiles and Raytheon’s Paveway IV UK-manufactured weapon for the jets. Mr Williamson also agreed a package of training and co-operation between the Air Forces which will see them working together more regularly, including Qatari pilots and ground-crew training in the UK.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: “It is a great pleasure to sign our biggest export deal for the Typhoon in a decade. These formidable jets will boost the Qatari military’s mission to tackle the challenges we both share in the Middle East, supporting stability in the region and delivering security at home.

“As we proudly fly the flag for our world-leading aerospace sector all over the globe this news is a massive vote of confidence, supporting thousands of British jobs and injecting billions into our economy.”

image © Crown Copyright

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BAE Systems Brimstone Gavin Williamson MBDA Meteor Paveway IV Qatar Raytheon Typhoon

Post written by: Matt Brown